Chapter 1

He didn't twirl. He didn't swivel nor revolve. His pride was too great to participate in these exuberant, parading acts of "dancing". He kept his movements fluid and elegant, paired with graceful flips and back handsprings. Gymnastic dancing was fine art, you just had to have the technique as a counterpart. And he did, indeed, have this counterpart.

Flexibility is principal, Sasuke thought as he vaulted into a front tuck and stuck the landing with a full right split.

Agility, too. He sprung into a front tuck again from his seated position, grabbed a gymnasium bar with one hand while pulling himself up with his opposing arm, and poised atop it. He looked below him and saw his juvenile self looking up at him with those ebony eyes. His face was full of mirth that present day Sasuke envied. He looked back to his position on the bar and again was faced with his former apparition. The mirth in his face had inched away, present but slowly vanishing. He deviated from his path and turned around, only to come face to face with an older wistful personage.

Can't forget speed. Sasuke ascended to the topmost gymnasium bar with cutthroat alacrity. He then looked down and the boy was not there. In his place was a voracious crowd, beastly in their cheers. He simpered.

It seemed that the higher he scaled, the more success he would have, and the more the crowd would encourage. He rose to the very tips of his toes, lifted his chin up, and gave an appearance that emanated aristocracy. He indulged the audience with a perfect walking handstand, allowing their hungry eyes access to his well-built, slender torso when his shirt fell to his chest. They shouted as he hand stood on the edge of the bar.

And the ever present showstopper. Sasuke tilted over the edge. His legs threatened to capsize him and bring him down to the mats 15 feet below. It appeared silent besides some music for the moment and he took this time to completely straighten his legs as they came down. He bent his knees so that his feet could touch his back thighs. Propping himself up on only one finger, he lingered on the fringe for a scarce few seconds more.

He bent his finger which bounced him up momentarily. He stole this extra second in the air and implemented 3 hasty turntables, 2 straight leg back tucks, and 1 air handspring, grounding with the same one fingered position he took on the apex bar.

The music was cut off and cued Sasuke's performance as over. He accorded the howling audience with another small simper and bow.

He lived for the acclaim. He didn't seek validation from it but considered it dignifying because it semaphored his physical prowess, and it felt good to him. He didn't seek validation from anyone. He was his own person, and the public was his pet that he would walk and pet. They worshiped him like a deity and he ate up every second of it. Something was missing, though. Sasuke had been heavyhearted for a while. He locked up this little secret behind his flair and only let it out in private.

Ushered off the stage by black and navy blue clad security, the teenager glided into the locker room and was accosted by a handful of his team. His team consisted of childhood friends and one family member; however, some were acquaintances he didn't much care for.

The former was composed of Gaara, Suigetsu, and his brother Itachi. The latter consisted of Neji Hyuga and Deidara.

He couldn't really explain why he didn't care for Neji. Sasuke would've pondered the idea of being his friend once upon a time because of Neji's silent nature and proficiency. But something about him rubbed him wrong and Sasuke didn't give it much thought anymore. It was something about his eyes, maybe. But he was a damn good dancer. He didn't have anything against the guy and preferred to steer clear from him when he could. Deidara, however...

The blonde scourge was loud, obnoxious, and too much of a try hard concerning art. In addition to that, he had an annoying habit of repeating certain words at the end of almost every sentence. He was intolerable at the very least.

"Good job out there," Suigetsu said and a myriad of razors poked out of his maw. He clapped Sasuke on the back and almost knocked him over.

"You need to eat more though," he continued, seeing his back pat nearly send Sasuke flat on his face.

"He needs to eat less," Gaara voiced quietly. "The county competition is coming soon. Which means we'll need to slash water weight and generalized unnecessary weight." Sasuke nodded and Suigetsu gnashed his teeth. Suigetsu loved food and hated anything that forced him to cut down on it.

"Anyways," Neji said, "Good performance out there. I couldn't have done it better. Your denouement was phenomenal." Sasuke internally gritted his teeth. If he could place his finger on his uncanny dislike of the teenager, he would, and rebuke it. There was a good chance it was his eyes.

Sasuke only really cared about his brother's plaudit, and even then it was only a little bit, because Itachi trained him and chaperoned him to prestige. Deidara and Suigetsu praised him after Neji and Sasuke drowned them out. He was waiting for Itachi to voice his opinion on his display. Itachi opened his mouth only to be cut off by Deidara.

"Oh yeah, we forgot to tell you this Sasuke, yeah," the blonde said, "we fired our new team of makeup artists, uhn. They didn't do a very good job, right? I mean look at you, yeah. Look at that smudgy eye liner on his right eye, Neji." The rest of the team leaned in to see the supposed defect. Neji slightly nodded. Sasuke pushed his hair out of his faced and sighed lightly, walking to the wall mirror to observe said eyeliner mishap.

"I agree that they could've done a better job, but where are we going to get 5 exceptional makeup artists in time for the competition?"

Deidara grinned. "I have a team ready for us tonight, yeah," he said. "They're bringing their equipment and meeting us at our apartment. What time is it, uhn?"

"It's about 8," Itachi said quietly.

"Let's go, then, yeah. They said they'll be there at 9."

Sasuke coasted back from the mirror with the eyeliner smudge on his hand. He didn't really need nor want any makeup artists; he let his performance speak for itself. But if Deidara and the others insisted, Sasuke was forced to oblige. Deidara was always picky about his appearance being as pristine as possible, even outside of the stage. If Deidara were to have an artist, he would want to have the best one, and Sasuke tacitly acquiesced with him.

Gaara asked if he could ride with him and Sasuke accepted. Itachi took the rest of them in his car. Itachi's car was a 2017 cherry red convertible Ferrari, a California T model. Sasuke never liked convertibles, nor did he like the sun. It would be understandable that Itachi wouldn't like them either seeing as how they were basically identical in features and skin pigment. However, he did not. He usually left his top down. Sasuke never asked.

Sasuke's car had tinted windows as dark as the legal limit would allow. He put his hand on the handle as Gaara walked around to the other side. They opened the doors and Sasuke put his keys into the ignition. His vehicle thrummed to life. He pulled out of his parking spot. He spotted his older brother in the rear view mirror trailing behind him. He could see Deidara's now ponytail-less form standing in the back with his hands up. Sasuke gritted mentally again.

The Uchiha's parents awarded them both cars for placing first in a tournament when Sasuke was 15 and Itachi 19. It pained the prior to see Deidara acting like a clown in the back in his parent's car.

Sasuke's car drove like he walked; polished and effortless. He absentmindedly patted the leather steering wheel in the midst of pulling onto the highway. In what seemed like a few minutes, he and Gaara soon arrived at their complex. Sasuke got out and looked for Itachi's car. It wasn't there. They must've stopped for something on the way home. He turned around and was startled with a vision of bright pink hair mixed in with a few less tedious hair colors. Deidara's new makeup team just walked out of their own cars. Sasuke glanced over at his red headed friend.

Gaara looked a little stunned too. But Sasuke didn't think it was for the same reason as his. He traced Gaara's gaze back to a simple looking girl with very short, light brown hair. Perhaps an ex or an old friend. However. Sasuke didn't really think that Gaara was capable of relationships if he was being blunt. He studied the girl a little more and turned back around when he heard Itachi's car purr towards the lot. Itachi parked and Deidara bounded out of the back seat with Neji following.

With all of them together again, Sasuke could finally evaluate their face painters closer without interruptions. He was drawn, but more forced, to look at the shock of pink. She looked dignified without the ridiculous colored hair. Her makeup was nice looking from afar, her lips painted with a wine color. But if Sasuke was given the choice to choose another, he would. He didn't like unnatural hair colors. The other girls were decent looking, but at least some had prettier and longer hair.

Itachi reared up next to Sasuke. "We had to stop for gas," he said. Itachi noticed the pink color too. It looked as if he were recollecting the owner. Itachi beckoned for his team to follow him to greet their new lineup.

Sasuke walked with Itachi, and watched as he extended his hand to each member of the team introducing himself separately, flashing exclusive charming smiles. His brother really had a way with people, not just women in particular. When he reached the pink head, he smiled the brightest of all. "Hello, Ms. Haruno," he said pleasantly. She hadn't even said her name, so it was obvious the two had a friendly connection.

"Itachi, long time no see!" She contradicted his handshake with a hug. He smiled softer this time and returned it with one of his own. They parted and she took a hold of his face with both hands, examining it. Gaara nudged Sasuke easily and gave him a look that seemed to ask him what this connection was. Sasuke shrugged and wondered himself.

"My, my, you've grown a lot haven't you?" she said teasingly, alluding to maybe an inside joke between Itachi and her the way she had said it. "No more 'chubby cheeks and huge eyes,' huh?"

"I could say the same thing. You always steal my words; I've bet you've built an empire on them seeing as you're here working for us now. That, and Deidara contacted you. It's not easy finding me, you know." He ruffled her hair and she laughed and smoothed it out. "This is my brother, Sasuke. He's your age."

She turned towards Sasuke and elongated her arm for him to shake her hand. "I'm Sakura. Your brother used to be my babysitter."

Ah, I see. Sasuke took her hand and was surprised with how warm and small it was. It was a huge contrast with the nippy fall air swirling about. She turned back towards Itachi and allowed her team to get familiarized with them. Sasuke went through the motions and was well aware of the yearning way the girls looked at him when they shook his hand. He returned none.

Neji's sister was in there as well. They looked nothing alike apart from their pupil-less, lavender eyes. Gaara's ex girlfriend was present too; the light brown haired girl. Her name was Matsuri. They all walked back inside the complex, with a few straggling behind.

Sasuke straggled behind for a reason. He couldn't combat the compulsion to look at Itachi's old friend's legs as she walked beside his brother. They were the longest out of all of them, curving at the right places. But maybe they weren't the longest. Her 5 inch heels gave the impression of extensive calves and thigh.

They all walked back inside the complex. Sasuke tumbled onto the large beanbag in the corner of the room. He leaned back into his arms. He closed his eyes and almost drifted off to sleep while everyone talked. He was tired from his lengthy rendition and accommodated his sore limbs with repose.

Sasuke didn't fancy conversation, so he sanctioned that role to his team. He drifted further into the sweet embrace of slumber while people exchanged words with each other regarding expectations.

He cracked an eye only to the sound of his name.

"You get first pick, little brother. It's only fair," Itachi said. "Who do you want to work for you?"

Sasuke scanned the group. Before being told to pick, he was mulling over one particular girl. She sported a long, blonde ponytail and had blue eyes. But she was the one who looked starstruck the most. Now that he thought about it, that girl with the pink hair was the only one who didn't appear to be heart-stricken after shaking his hand. He threw around the idea of the blonde girl once more again. If she really admired his looks, she wouldn't butcher them then, right?

But his trained eye couldn't disregard a few flaws in her presentation. Her eye liner was a bit off. And the pink head's was impeccable.

"I'll take the pink headed one," Sasuke affirmed. He closed his eyes again. The aforementioned girl looked at him and practically radiated. But, he missed Itachi's mildly dismayed look. The remaining team members chose subsequently.

Sasuke was with Sakura, Neji with Hinata, Gaara (unfortunately, or fortunately, but probably fortunately because he chose her himself,) with Matsuri, Suigetsu with Karin, Deidara with Konan, and finally Itachi with Ino. It all seemed right and analogous. Everyone appeared to be happy, or at least content with their collaborator. All except one. Suigetsu plopped on the beanbag next to him.

"These girls sure are pretty, huh?" Suigetsu buzzed.

"Sure, Sui," Sasuke agreed with his eyes still closed. Suigetsu lamented over his friend's lack of hormones. "You've got the first hottest piece of ass in this joint now," Suigetsu continued. Sasuke resisted the urge to open his eyes at this admittance. Sasuke decided to indulge his friend in discussion.

"Oh yeah?" Sasuke inquired. Suigetsu always had an affinity for standout girls and outlandish hair color. His mouth's interior was decorated with shark's teeth and his own hair was light blue. Suigetsu grinned, turned, and pointed to the girl talking to Itachi.

"Look at the girl you picked. She's not common looking, y'know? She's got those good-looking green eyes and that vibrant hair. And that body, damn. She's got a dancer's body like us, but she's got assets, heh," he disclosed to Sasuke. "Wonder if she's a dancer or been one. Cause it certainly looks like it."

"Mm," Sasuke hummed. "I wonder why Itachi let you pick first," Suigetsu placed a finger on his chin and looked at the ceiling.

"It was probably because he didn't think I'd choose his previous 'client', if that's even what it was. Highly doubt it, though."

"I guess you paid attention to Itachi, huh Sas'," Suigetsu grinned. "I thought you were too busy sleeping. He had that possessive look in those eyes. Like when he looks at you sometimes. Brotherly pride. But it wasn't similar to the way he looks at you this time. It was a little... lewd. But who knows, I've never seen Itachi horny. I don't know if he's capable of feeling lust," Suigetsu continued. "Itachi looks a lil' bit pissed that you chose her."

"But seriously, the way he looked at her didn't lie. It was different this time. It wasn't cold, serious, or empty. There must be something about that girl he's not gonna tell us, because he wouldn't be this seemingly possessive about a girl who he claimed to only babysit years back."

Sasuke opened both of his eyes and made direct eye contact with his brother from across the room.

He definitely thought I would choose that blonde girl. He probably presumed that she was more my type, and that I could get laid easier because of her ditsy nature.

Sasuke smugly smiled and looked back at his friend. If Itachi and that girl wanted to presume that Sasuke was monopolizing her to spite Itachi, then they could go ahead. But Sasuke only wanted the best for him. And she did her makeup exceptionally. He still didn't even know her name though. He forgot. It wasn't important for him to know, though. She was such a meager part of his life now, and Sasuke was confused by the party like aura that radiated through their apartment room.

They were just makeup artists, and would be lucrative if successful. That's all there was to it. They would take around 30 minutes to complete their almost daily ritual on their partner's face and both would go their respective ways. Albeit Hinata and Neji, maybe. That's how it always was before them.

But yes, a very scant amount of their lives would be dedicated to them. That's what he told himself that night. The conversations around him were doused with dreams, and Sasuke was blind to Itachi's occasional glacial stare in his direction.

Suigetsu passed out next to him shortly after, he too now numb to the repartee flowing around him.

Author's Note: Hi guys! This is actually my first ff, so I'm a lil' unseasoned. But I hope ya'll enjoyed this, because it was fun writing. If there's support for the story, I'll be writing lots more, cuz I got a good idea where this fic will go. Feel free to point out any typos or any weird sentence structure stuffs. :-)

Disclamier: I do not own Naruto or any of its' characters; in addition to that, I don't own my profile picture or cover image either. Some Xerxes Break fanart is my pfp and my cover image is made by hiroshin10. The link is art/Makeup-SAKURA-HARUNO-596969436

Give credit to each respective maker/artist. :))))